Month: January 2016

Have you ever felt ecstatic that you’re still alive? As I write, my heart is beating hard against my chest and my palms are sweaty; I am alive! Only a couple of hours ago I was sipping a mug of coffee and devouring a chocolate brownie whilst listening to Debussy’s Clair de Lune, completely chill…

Wandering around Bangkok by night for the very first time, I’m surprisingly calm. Aside from my unwillingness to venture out into the city’s hectic roads by foot (when you see an opening, don’t hesitate!), I can’t quite believe I’m here. Just less than thirty-six hours ago I was so anxious about travelling solo I was…

Just less than two weeks ago I was prescribed the antimalarial drug Mefloquine, which is also called Lariam, by my doctor. I hadn’t done any research at this point, and so accepted the prescription without questioning it, except to ask about the side effects – “vomiting and stomach pain”, he said. However, just before I was going to take my first tablet at home, I quickly Googled ‘Mefloquine’.

One of the most encouraging (and surprisingly effective) replies I got on Tripadvisor about travelling alone to Southeast Asia was from someone who wrote, quite simply, ‘Press the button Katherine. Worry about the details after’.